


Zulf's Guilt

by Icetigris



Category: Bastion
Genre: Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-26
Updated: 2013-05-26
Packaged: 2017-12-13 00:57:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/818072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icetigris/pseuds/Icetigris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zulf feels guilty and sad about the events of Bastion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Zulf's Guilt

**Author's Note:**

> This is full of spoilers, so don't read it unless you've already beaten the game. I just kind of brain dumped this so WYSIWYG.

Zulf sat in the shade of a small tree, watching the clouds pass by. It had been some time since the Kid had rescued him from the Tazal Terminals and his physical wounds were healing. He heard the Kid and Zia talking animatedly on the other side of the Bastion and felt a combination of guilt, anger, and gratitude.

Zulf sighed.

He should have died that day.

His life crumbled into dust and scattered into the wind with his fiance’s ashes. That’s why he’d gone to the Hanging Gardens. The world was over and he wanted to join her.

But then the Kid came, just as Zulf was making his final, desperate plea to the gods.

If it weren’t for the Kid, he would never have learned of the treachery of the Caels, that everything he’d ever worked for was for naught, that there would be no peace between them and the Ura. He wouldn’t have destroyed the monument or forced the Kid to risk his life to find the shards, or to save his hide from the wrath of his fellow countrymen.

Zulf cast his gaze downward. He had had this internal monologue before. It wasn’t productive, but what could he do? The trauma, the pain, the loss was all so fresh, and the gods had no solace or answers to offer, no matter how much or how earnestly he pleaded with them.

He took the small journal held at his waist and began to scrawl down some errant thoughts when he heard a soft chirp. The squirt drifted over to him and nuzzled his arm.

“Hello, friend,” Zulf said, a smile ghosting across his face. “What brings you here?”

The squirt curled up in his lap and snuggled against his hand.

“Ah, I see.” Zulf stroked the top of the squirt’s head. It cooed in response. “A fine day isn’t it?” There was melancholy in his voice.

“Yes, it is a nice day.”

Zulf started and saw Zia standing there.

“Sorry if I startled you. How are you feeling?”

Zulf busied himself with petting the squirt. “Still a bit beat-up, though much better.”

“I’m glad.” Zia sat down next to him and started petting the squirt too. She let a beat pass before saying anything else. “You’ve been really quiet since you got back.”

Zulf looked away. “I’ve had a lot to think about...”

Another beat.

“Zulf, you can talk to any of us if you need to...”

He looked at her and then looked away again. “I know.”

“I worry about you. We all do.”

Zulf didn’t say anything.

“We’ve all been through so much. You’re not alone.”

Zulf didn’t know how to react. “Zia, I’m sorry, I just...I’m sorry for all the pain I’ve caused.”

“It’s okay, we’ve all forgiven you. You’ve already apologized so many times.”

“I know I just...I don’t know if it will ever be enough.” Zulf paused. “I often wonder if it would have been better...if he hadn’t brought me back here—”

Zia threw her arms around him. “Please don’t ever think that again.” She buried her face in his neck. “Kid and Rucks and I...we all love you. I love you.”

Zulf had been holding back tears, but he let them flow silently as he put his arms around Zia.

“You just have to let us.”

Zulf nodded against her neck.

They released each other from the embrace and Zulf wiped his eyes on his sleeve. “Thank you, Zia,” he murmured.

She squeezed his shoulder gently. “Tonight, will you help me chart stars? I’ll play you any song you like.”

Zulf smiled. “Of course, that would be lovely.”


End file.
